Shaping, feeding, and cutting plastic material to form uniform pieces



Nov. 21,1933. A. RUSSELL 1,936,267

SHAPING, FEEDING, AND CUTTING PLASTIC MATERIAL TO FORM UNIFORM PIECES Filed May 25, 1953 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l AJRUSSELL Nov. 21, 1933- SHAPING, FEEDING, AND CUTTING PLASTIC MATERIAL TO FORM UNIFORM PIECES Filed May 25, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 21,1933 7 r I p w uNrrEe-s r TE-s FATE NT OFFICE- 7 1,936,267 I sesame, FEEDING, AND CUTTING PLASTIC 'MATERIAL TO FORM UNIFORM PIECES a di aster Russell, Leeds, England, assignor to The Forgrove Machinery Company Limited, Leeds, England Application May 25, 1933, Serial No. 672,898, and

' in Great Britain August 12, 1932.

. 6 Claims. (01. 101-21) The invention relates to the method of shap knife, this knife itself may form the abutment in'g, feeding and cutting of plastic material, such byfeedingthe .end of the rope against-the seg 'as toffee ina warm condition, using mechanism mental width [of theblade, the amount of comadapted to control the size and shape of the pression will then dependupon the segmental -finished article and to apparatus for carrying Width of the knife, the knife acting as a shutter,

out this method. The method usually adopted across the direction of feed. Thus the amount of consists in feeding the massof plastic material compression can be varied by fitting knives 0 between forming rollers which form said mate-' different segmental widths. rial into a rope, the cross-section of which is de- Alternatively, the amount of compression may 0 termined by the shape of the rollers, while the be varied by using the same knife so that the thickness of the cross-section is determined'by segmental width. against which the rope end the distanceapa'r't' of said rollers, and in cutting bears is constant and varyingthe'rate of feed of said rope by means of a knife into pieces, the the rope by the rollers against the constant width length of which'is determined by the speed. of of the knife. 1 I i V H the roller feed and the time interval between the In the present invention both of thesetwo a1: successive strokes of the knife. ternative methods are preferably employed.

In practice it is found that, plastic materials Knives of different segmental widthsmay be used,- vary in their behaviour undercthe above treatwhich necessitates stoppage-of the machinery, ment, so that the shape of the pieces eventually but the speedof therope isalso controlled by a produced Ivaries in cross-sectional area as the T change speed [gear which can be operated as the substance cools. In order to explain this variae machine is working, so that within the limits tion, it would be stated thatinforming the secof any given knife segment a varying amount of tion by rolling, internal stress in the material compression can be obtained to suit the condiwhich is being pressed, tothe required size. and tions, without stopping to fit different knives. elongated, is set up; and it. is found that there is vA further adjustment is provided for varying a cnt actign in thd'i e ti f the length and the distance between the feed rollsso that an a eorresponding dilation of the section, when appr priate thi kn s f the tio ll m y the densitybeforeand after rolling'is' constantr be ob a whilst e machine is in at o If," however, the density increases withthe coolin order tocOrrect for thickness. The end coming process, excessive longitudinal stresses may pression eliminates shrinkage effects due to the cause 'a contraction in the length without'a cor l ngitudinal stresses and the thickness adju respondingj increase in sectional, area, which fi eliminates departure y dilation from a dewould cause thevariation in cross-sectional area si d nd rd: ;v referred to, p p The invention willnow be described with ref- The "objeet of'the invention isfso to control. r n e t the pa t ula d nt of f ding the formation of the finished cut off, piece as to a d v ring. app Shown 90 the 0 prevent variation'of its cross-sectional area due Denying drawin in W i v to the gradual relief of internal stresses during 118 a sideelevationoi the pp r ShOW- cooling of therope of plastic'material" to normal n the di and f rm n rollers d h ev-;

atmospheric temperatures, 7 -ering knife, with aguide trough for the rope'oi This object is achieve'd according to the prestoffee in Section 1 I 3 A entfinvention by providing an additional step I Fig. 2 is afront elevation illustrating the mechin the method, which consists injcomp'ressing the a sm o C a Speed e rollers n end of the ropeprior to cutting off each length, for adjusting .the distance between said rollers. The amount'of compression will be varied mac he struction us ated a trough a s, 00 cordance' with the variation of cross-sectional p v d d o edi the plasticmaterial through area'during cooling. the feeding and shaping rollers b and 0. These 'Itis found that the longitudinal stress setup rollers are mounted forrcontinuous rotation on .by the rolling, can. be counteracted by a local W 0 shafts b and 0 The shaft 0 is mounted in compressing action just prior to cutting off. I fixed bearings c ,'.while the other shaft 21 is car- 05 .In carrying out this method, the feedrollers d by a y saidlyoke is D 'Q t may be arranged to deliver the. formed ,rope side with a' depending projection 12 slidably against an abutment which causes the foremost guided by bifurcated projections, only one of 'of the knife, the case of a rotary segmental immediately behind. The yoke is provided at end to be compressed prior to the slicing action which s Shown and m e Math-e other being I 6 the other side with a boss b slidably mounted on a fixed spindle b The yoke is supported by a screw threaded shank b and a hand wheel b by the operation of which the shafts b and 0 can be adjusted relatively to each other in order to vary the space between the rollers 19 and c and thus vary the thickness of the rope of plastic material. The adjustable shaft b has fixed on. it a spur wheel 22 which is driven by a spur wheel 0 on the non-adjustable shaft 0 These spur wheels b c are provided with large teeth which allow for the slight relative adjustments of the shafts b 0 without interrupting the drive. The

non-adjustable shaft 0 is driven through change speed gearing comprising three pinions c 0 c fixed on the shaft c meshing or adapted to mesh with pinions c", c and c mounted on the counter-shaft 0 driven through the worm wheel 0 and worm e by the gearing e from the main drive shaft 0 The pinion c is free onthe counter-shaft and permanently meshes with the pinion 0 While the pinions c and c are keyed to the counter-shaft so that they are axially slidable thereon but always rotate with the counter-shaft. The'pinions c and 0 are adapted selectively to mesh with the pinions c 0 under the control of'selecting mechanism comprising the lever cl, push rod d and fork (1 The pinions c and c are provided with dog clutches 0 and 0 which are also adapted to be engaged by movement of the pinion 0 through said selecting mechanism. In one position, shown in Fig. 2, the drive takes place through the pinions c and 0 in a second position (not shown) through the pinions c and c and in a third position (also not shown), in which the dog clutches 0 and e engage, through the pinions c and 0 With this mechanism threechanges in the speed with which the rope of plastic material is formed and fed by the rollers b and 0 can be obtained.

The shaft e carrying the knife e is continuously rotated by means of the chain sprocket e and chain wheel 6 from the main shaft of the machine (not shown). The knife is of segmental form, as shown in Fig. 2, and this is so mounted on the shaft that it can be readily removed and replaced by knives having a different segmental width.

The method according to this invention may described in this specification is combined with such apparatus. In the earlier specification the apparatus comprises the rollers 22 and c for feeding a rope of plastic material to a cutting station where the knife e is arranged intermittently to sever in, succession a series of pieces from the end of the rope of plastic material, and a reciprocating pusher f is arranged to move the pieces of plastic material as severed transversely of the direction of feed of the rope, while a displaceable trough g is provided with mechanism for displacing the rope of plastic material out of the path of the pusher 1 early in each forward stroke of the pushenso as to avoid interference between the rope of plastic material and said pusher and for returning the rope of plastic materialto its normal position towards the end of the return stroke of the pusher. placing the trough 9 comprises a lever g pivoted on the shaft 0 and connected by a link 9 to a forked lever g pivoted at g and having bowls.

The mechanism for disg operable by the cams g mounted on the shaft g driven by the gear wheel g from a suitable source of power (not shown).

In the adoption of such apparatus for carrying out the present invention, the action of the mechanism for displacing the trough g is delayed in order to allow the rope to be fed against the knife, and the guide is caused to displace the rope only after the knife has moved clear of the end of the rope, so that the continued feed of this rope will not interfere with the return stroke of the pusher. The timing of this mechanism for displacing the trough g may be adjustable in accordance with the segmental width of the knife.

In operation the rope of plastic material, marked it in Fig. 1, which is formed and fed by the rollers b and 0 along the trough g abuts with its leading edge against the knife 6 and is thus compressed as long as the knife remains in the path of said rope. It will be apparent, therefore, that the amount of compression may be varied by varying the speed of rotationof the rollers 32 and 0. Further variation may be obtained by fitting knives e of greater segmental width so" as to extend the period of time during which the rope abuts against the knife.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. Apparatus for shaping, feeding and'cutting plastic material to form uniform pieces compris ing, continuously rotated forming rollers for forming said material into a rope and for feeding said rope endwise and a continuously rotated severing device disposed transversely of said rope and adapted to sever pieces from the end of said rope, said severing device forming an abutment against which the rope of plastic material is adapted to be compressed endwise. 1

2. Apparatus for shaping, feeding and cutting plastic material toform uniform pieces comprising, two forming rollers adapted to form said material into a rope, means for adjusting said rollers relatively to each other to vary the size of said rope, driving means adapted continuously to rotate said rollers, means for changing the speed of said rollers, and a severing device adapted to sever pieces from said rope, said severing device forming an abutment against which the end of said rope is adapted to be compressed endwise. V

3. Apparatus for shaping, feeding and cutting plastic material to form uniform pieces comprising, continuously rotated forming rollers for forming said material into a rope and for feeding said rope endwise, and a detachable, segmental knife disposed transversely of said rope adapted to sever said rope and adapted also to form an abutment for compressing the end of the rope.

4. Apparatus forshaping, feeding and cutting plastic material to form uniform pieces, comprising, in combination, means for formingv saidmaterial into a rope and continuously feeding said.

rope, a guide for supporting said rope, a knife at the end of said guide for intermittently severing in succession a series of pieces from the end. of said rope, said knifealso forming an abutment for the end of said rope against which it is adapt ed to be compressed endwise, a pusher for the severed pieces arranged to move transversely of the rope, and means for displacing said guide after the knife has movedclear of the end of said rope to avoid interference between the rope andthe pusher, said displacing means returning the guide to bring said rope into the path of the pusher on the return of the pusher.

knife has moved clear of the endof said rope to avoid interference between the rope and the 5. Apparatus for shaping, feeding and cutting plastic material to form uniform pieces, com-' prising, in combination, two forming rollers adapted to form said material into a rope, driving means for continuously rotating said rollers adapted continuously to feed said rope, means for changing the speed of said rollers, a guide for supporting said rope, a knife at the end of said guide for intermittently severing in succession a series of pieces from the end of said rope, said knife also forming an abutment for the end of said rope against which it is adapted to be compressed endwise, a pusher for the severed pieces arranged to move transversely of the rope, and means for displacing said guide after the pass across the end of said rope to compress it endwise, said abutment being adapted also to sever a piece from the end of said rope.

ALEXANDER RUSSELL. 

